Colorimetric ammonia (NH3) sensor based on an alginate-methylcellulose blend hydrogel and the potential opportunity for the development of a minced pork spoilage indicator

Hydrogels based on alginate and methylcellulose were developed as a colorimetric indicator for monitoring minced pork spoilage. The hydrogel was fabricated by an external gelation method using Ca2+ as the crosslinking agent. The pH-sensitive dye bromothymol blue was incorporated into the hydrogel to act as an indicator. The hydrogel’s swelling index increased with an increasing ratio of methylcellulose, suggesting that the water uptake capacity is tunable by the polymer composition. The hydrogel’s compression strength is directly proportional to the alginate content. The hydrogel indicator demonstrated a color change from orange to yellow (day 6) upon detecting total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) built up in the package during minced pork storage at 4 °C, and the results showed a positive correlation between the color change, TVB-N and pH change of minced pork. This result demonstrated the potential application of the hydrogel as a spoilage indicator in intelligent packaging.